Jack Lewis Baillot's Blog, page 49

"Your friend, just before she left, did she punch you in the face? Stop bleeping me!"

 Wherein Jack talks about her newest idea. as promised...about time, right?
 Those who have been around for awhile might remember a dragon story I wrote for NaNo - it was my project two years ago. (Don't worry, I will publish it someday so you can all read it. It is kind of next up after the Loyalty Trilogy is out, but I can't make promises of what order it will fall into.) You probably all know something about The Broken Blade as I do mention it a good deal. (You can find more details about it on my book page.) And then there was this years NaNo which flopped on me. I was very ready to give up on that one all together but the characters refuse. They keep pestering me, demanding I write their story, but more on that another day.

 As you can tell, or gather from the mentions of dragons and swords, I like Fantasy. It is my favourite genre, next to Steampunk. (I've a fascination with gears and clocks and airships and it kind of surpasses my love of dragons and elves and kings - but not swords. Which is why I have swords in both genres.) Anyways, when I began the Haphazard books I put a lot of the Fantasy ideas I have on hold. Now that I've finished The Broken Blade they've all come back. I even pulled out and dusted off some very old ideas I had - and a couple of completed manuscripts I was ready to give up on.

 Right now I have seven different Fantasy ideas - well, more than that but a few aren't Fantasy, just middle ages type. But the seven I've on the top of my list have a lot in common with each other. Elves, Dragons, Swords, Kings, very mean bad guys, kingdoms falling apart...(I don't think the plot is as over used as I am making it sound...)

 The other day I was thinking about all of these different ideas and thought how fun it would be if all the different kingdoms existed in the same world. And, as happens with me, the idea jumped all around and back and forth and by the time I was done I had it worked out. Well, mostly.
 I still have a lot of work to do, like what I will call this world and what it will look like.

 What I do have right now is knowing that Nightshade, the Kingdom in The Broken Blade books, is the main one. It was the central one and everyone in the other kingdoms started there. And I do know that, when all of the other books are out, I am going to have one final book in which important people from all the kingdoms will get together and fight a final battle. (That's a spoiler, right? There, I've given a spoiler.) I love it when Fantasy books end with a big battle - Lord of the Rings, Narnia - so I am all excited now at the thought of getting to write a whole book about a battle.

 I will have more information the more I work on this idea. For right now that is all I have and I want to get to bed kind of early so I can start my first week of no longer being on holiday off right.

 Quote is from Doctor Who - shocking, right? The one where we first meet Donna. (I forgot how much I like that one in spite of the spider. I loved it when Donna was with the Doctor, they were so funny together.)

 Allons-y!

"You took a council ax from a council van and now you're digging up a council road!"

 Wherein Jack posts when she normally doesn't

 Right now I am running a slight fever and am sick in bed. I am trying to decide if I want to watch Doctor Who - with the first Doctor - or try and put up with the emotions of Merlin. But while I decide I thought it was time I began to take part in a rather exciting event. My kindred spirit and friend, Jenelle Schmidt, has a new book coming out soon! (I read her first book, King's Warrior, over the summer and reviewed it. If you like dragons and quests and battles I highly recommend it.)After I finished it I learned of what is going to be book two in the series, though a prequel to King's Warrior. It is called Second Son and is about my favourite character from the first book. To celebrate Second Son coming out, Jenelle is holding a Cover Reveal/ Book Release Party that all are welcome to take part in. And it sounds like a lot of fun - and since I am so excited for the book, I couldn't turn down the chance to join in. (For those interested, you can learn more about it HERE!!!!!!!!!!! and I highly suggest you take a look around her blog while you are there. She has wonderful posts and all this month there is a lot of fun things going on in honour of Second Son.)
 There are three ways to join in the party, but I couldn't pick just one. So I am cheating and doing all three. (And then you will hear three times about the book and hopefully want to read it as much as I do.)
 Today I will be interviewing one of my own characters. I had a hard time picking, because some of the ones who like attention all wanted to be the one I picked. However, since I am working on book two in the Loyalty Trilogy, it only seemed fitting that it should be on the characters from that book. So, let me introduce you to the elf, Ennion.
 Greetings, Ennion, thank you for letting me interrogate you. You're welcome, though you didn't really give me a choice. Well, elves are kind of popular and you didn't think I'd really attempt this on Trystan, did you? No one in their right minds would attempt this on Trystan so yes, I did think you would. But, does this mean I get pie? You gave pie to the last person you interrogated. Sorry, Sammy ate it all. Of course
 Okay, enough about that though. Would you like to tell everyone a little bit about yourself? I guess it wouldn't hurt any. My name is Ennion, I am an elf from the city of Aesoram, in the kingdom of Glothyrea. There should be a line through the O in Glothyrea, but I don't know how to get it there. That is the only thing you could think to say after all that. Yes. Why does that surprise you? Carry on. Do you want me to break out in song? No, just...carry on.... Just making sure. Um, as I was saying, I lived in for many, many years - till the day I met Stefan, Magda, and young prince Lachlan. I am now on the run for my life in an attempt to save the prince from his older brothers. You said many, many years...how many? You're as bad as the dwarves. I refuse to answer that. Come on. Give us just a hint. No. I'm your author and - *in David Tennant's voice* - I demand that you tell me! That's pretty good. Didn't know you could do a British accent. I have hidden talents. I'm more than a hundred, but that's all you're getting out of me. Fine.
 Two Dwarf brothers have joined your company since you first met the other three. How do you feel about Dwarves. Are you trying to get me in trouble? Just answer. I like Dwarves. They're a good race. Just, certain of them can be grumpy. And when they get grumpy, I kind of want to push them into rivers. And if Golon reads this, I am dead. So I hope you're happy. I am.
 How do you feel about Dragons? Dragons? Why do you ask about Dragons? They don't exist. You willing to bet your life on that? Not anymore...
 You travel through the Kingdoms in the winter. Personally, do you think this is a good time to travel or would you prefer summer? If I had a choice I would have picked summer. But I have an evil author and she made is go in the winter. Everyone else in her books got to go on quests in the summer - but no, not us. We have to put up with blizzards and almost freezing to death. That isn't completely true! The Broken Blade Boys are traveling in the winter right now. Right now. For half a book. You said that later they will be traveling mostly in summer. "I was just traveling." "Traveling? Traveling where? Why can't you tell me?" Are you going to start quoting that Doctor Who show all the time now. "Yeeeaaaahh." Why do I put up with this? I don't know, why do you? You weren't even supposed to be a main character in the books, so you can't blame this on me. Don't forget, I was just going to have them meet you passing through, but noooo. You had to beg and plead and then just invite yourself along. I can kind of see why those one characters aren't speaking to you.  You're very grumpy today, what happened? Golon attempted dinner tonight. Oooo...poor you. Here. have more pie. Thanks, that helps.  HA! Now YOU'RE quoting Doctor Who!! This isn't getting far. Can I go now? I have a prince to save. Yeah, sure. But leave the pie here. I need it in case I ever interrogate anyone else. I pity them.~~~  Okay...I'd say more, but I'm too tired. For those who were waiting, Abolished is now on Nook! Sadly, I couldn't upload it with the pictures, so I had to take them all out. I am really sorry, I don't know why it wouldn't take it with them. However, I know from my Nook that PDFs can work on them, so if a Nook user would like, I have a paypal account. You can just pay me directly and I can send you the book in PDF with the pictures. You can contact me if you would like to do this, if not it is on Barnes and Noble HERE! I am sorry it took me so long to get out. 
 Quote is from Doctor Who, the one with the little girl who was drawing kids and snatching them out of their homes. (My mum and I had a marathon today since she wasn't feeling well either. She watched Rose "die" and now I've got her so much hooked on the show I convinced her to watch the Classic with me when we finish these.)
 Allons-y!

"You bad dog!" "Affirmative."

 I was going to post about my newest writing project. (Newest, on top of all the others I am already working on?! Yes, but it is a different kind of protect so it won't take away the time I am spending on the Haphazard series, the Loyalty Trilogy, or Worth of a King, the book I am co-authoring.) However, I finished a book, and therefore, I am going to save the writing project post for next week. Because, finishing a book deserves a post all its own.
 In my last post I mentioned the cheating New Years goal of completing The Broken Blade before the year was out. Well, the day I put that post up I finished it. Yes, after five or so years of hard work, The Broken Blade finally has a completed first draft, now sitting snugly in my files. And I celebrated in proper author fashion. For those who don't know, that involves curling up under a fuzzy blanket and smiling and feeling like crying by turns. Finishing a book is a wonderful feeling, don't get me wrong, but it is also kind of painful and like getting stabbed close to the heard. (Finishing a series is like getting stabbed in the heart.) And it was even worse with this book.
 When I finished Haphazardly Implausible I almost cried. I had another three books to spend with Peter and the others, but they weren't going to be the same as in book one. They were changing, and in book two I knew Peter would be a little more serious, a little less clueless about life in general. And it was sad, saying goodbye to that part of Peter's life. And that, for me, kind of sums up how it is finishing a book.
 Having a completed project, ready to move on to editing and publication is wonderful. But ending something, knowing the characters are going to be different when you meet them next, is hard. And I didn't write The Broken Blade in a few months like I did with Haphazard. This book I've put a lot of painstaking work into. I knew a lot of the characters even before they made it into this book, and while I didn't get to really know them till I sat down with the determination to finish it a few months back, I've become very, very fond of them. (That, I've heard, is a good thing. If an author doesn't like their characters then it is likely neither will the readers.)
 And moving on, watching them change and watching their world shatter around them wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. Unlike other books, where I just throw everyone right into the middle of the action and give back stories later on, this one I began with a slower setting. (Okay, yes, I tried something from The Lord of the Rings. I wanted to begin with them at their homes, living normal lives, going to school, looking forward to Christmas. They were just normal - ish - boys, doing normal things.) I didn't think it would work. I thought it would be too boring, which is one reason it took me so long to actually get everything written. I don't know, still, if I managed it, but I will leave that up to my beta readers to decide. My point is, this time I SAW what their lives were like before the real adventures came. I was there with them, and when their lives were ripped away from them I think I was just as sad as they were. (Although, in the end, I was still safely tucked away in my room while they were left out in the snow.)
 Since finishing I've been enjoying that time of sulking where I forget the world exists and work on book two in an attempt to make myself feel better. (Also, I watch TV shows in the company of John and my newest writing buddy, Sammy the moose.) It has helped, which is the reason I can't end this post on a depressing note.
 I will not leave you with a few things which will, hopefully, make you want to read the book and adhere to my new goal of talking more about my writing.
 This was my second attempt at writing with elves. (I'd say third, but one of them was a half elf so he doesn't really count.) I'm still not sure how well I have them down. It is all well and good reading about elves, but have you ever tried to handle one? I'm never sure if they secretly laughing at me or planning to shoot me in the back.
 There are seven boys all total whom this series is going to be about. Two of the boys are twins and pretty much only count as one - and I had WAY more fun with them than I probably should have.
 On top of this being my second book with elves it will also be my second series with dragons. My artist and I have been having a lot of fun with the dragons, namely the Dragon King who we are working details on to figure out how he should look, since he's the king and all.
 I set up a playlist to listen to while writing the book, but a lot of time reverted back to Lorenna McKennitt's music. Because she is amazing and her music is very elves and dragons and quests.
 I still am looking for a sword to break so I can use it for the cover. And I am working on costume ideas because I have cool ideas for the covers.
 One of the characters I did a character post on a long while back was Striker, the stranger who lost his memory. For years I thought I knew everything about him, him more than any of the others. I thought I knew his back story, his lost past, and what would happen to him in the book. Then, at the end of The Broken Blade he did something that caught me, the other boys, and even himself completely off guard and now he and I fear we may have been WAY off on his back story - which right now is posing a little bit of a problem.
 To make me finish book one, the boys kidnapped me, locked me in my room, and took turns holding swords to my back till I was done. Then, we were on such a roll, that they refused to let me go and I am now up to chapter five of book two.If it wasn't for school starting up again I think they would force me to have this one done before the end of January. I have to keep reminding them that my homework is going to have to come first.
 I probably shouldn't be talking about book two yet, since book one isn't even edited. But this bit I can't help. I added a Wizard to the series yesterday, and I am insanely pleased with him. (He was one of those characters who kind of showed up, took over the chapter, and I could only sit back and watch him run wild.) Now I have a whole order of Wizards planned and I am excited to work with them because I think they will be fun. They aren't the magic working Wizards, though they do carry wands and staffs, because I don't know which is the proper Wizard..weapon...beating stick...thing of choice, so they get both. And I will have to do a post on them soon because I like them that much.
 There is probably more I could say, but the boys from The Broken Blade want me back - and I am almost half-way through the last Ranger's Apprentice book and it is getting to the part where it is hard to put down.

 Quote is from Doctor Who, the one where 10 meets Sarah Jane and K9. (I think my mum has finally decided to give him a chance.)

 Allons-y!

"Does it mean he's coming or do I need to change the bulb?"

 Wherein Jack makes plans, reveals secrets, and is generally her geeky self.

 I don't make New Years resolutions. I wish I had some good reason for this, like they are overrated and I make little goals throughout the year which lead up to big ones by the time the new year comes in. But if I am honest it is just because I am lazy. I did make a few goals though. I am going to finish The Broken Blade this year. (GOING!) Well, that one is kind of cheating, because I am either on the last chapter right now or the second to last. But it is going to be a completed goal, so cheating on it shouldn't matter too much, right? Another goal is that I'm not going to be so secretive about my writing. I kind of went overboard on trying to hide spoilers. I am going to find a happy middle, somehow. 
 And, to start that wonderful new goal off right, I have some writing news! It was kind of asked me, but oh well. One of my readers asked about the sudden disappearance of the Loyalty books. Remember that book? Published in June? A Stretch of Loyalty, first in my fantasy trilogy - full of elves and dwarves and spoiled princes? Aw yes, that one. Well, for those who read it, you know it kind of ended on a cliff hanger. (In my defense, it wasn't a bad cliff hanger - as those reading Abolished will see.) But being a reader I understand that a cliff hanger is still a cliff hanger, whether it is leaving Sherlock alone in a pool room with Moriarty and a bunch of assassins or whether it is shoving him off a building and letting his best friend believe he is dead. Doesn't matter, cliff hangers hurt and the sooner they are resolved the better. *Cough, got it, Moffat? Cough, cough.*
 The good news to Loyalty's cliff hanger is that I do have book two written, and I am currently reading through it. When that is done I will be sending it to my beta readers - if they want it and are still speaking to me. *Waves sheepishly at them.* So yes, book two is going to be released! And, if I am able to keep up with it, it will be released the same time as book one. (And for those of you who don't remember the date you can just ponder till I officially release the release date.) I am exciting for book two, mostly because of the cover. To be honest, I had more fun doing Loyalty's cover than the Haphazard ones - Fantasy covers are just a lot of fun. And I have things planned for book two's. You know, when I can find someone insane enough to stand in front of the camera for me - again. This is starting to pose a problem, I'm running out of friends. (No, they are not getting arrested for standing in front of capitol buildings with swords, nor are they getting run over by cars standing in the middle of the road. I don't have many friends, so those I do I take good care of.)
 Coming soon, probably my next post, I have a new writing scheme to share with everyone, one I am very excited and pleased with.
 In a bit of a side note, I've noticed my geeky side showing up more and more lately. I finally convinced my mum to watch the 10th Doctor even though 9 is her claimed favourite and she didn't want to watch once he died. "It is the same Doctor," I had to keep saying, "he just changes his face, it is a Time Lord thing."  "A what thing?" "Time Lord. That is what he is. It was his - Alien race..." (We've had a lot of conversations like that. You know how when you talk to Whovains you say things like Dalek, TARDIS, Jack Harkness, 9, 10, 11, Judoon Platoon on the moon and they know what you're talking about? My mum isn't there yet.) "And he fought the Daleks-""The who?" "The Daleks." "Which are those?" "The robot Aliens who scared Nine when he met that one dude who got the whole in his head." "Oh yeah, them." Never fear. Leave her alone long enough with me, leave anyone alone long enough with me, and you will have a Whovain before the week is out.
 One of the things I am known for in my family is my on going complaint about the moving Sleeping Beauty. We all have that one Disney Princess we can't stand, and she was mine. I always thought it was silly, the way she "died". "Oh look, needle. I'm going to touch it." Who does that? Well, I owe her an apology. The other day I came across an old spinning wheel. I thought it was cool so I went to get a closer look and when I was really close to it I was filled with an over powering urge to....touch the needle.
 That is all. Except that I have been working on updating the pages about my books. An example of which you can find HERE!! The rest you can find by clicking on the other books' pages, I am just rather pleased with The Broken Blade's.
 Quote is from the Doctor Who Christmas special, The Christmas Carol, when the ship Amy and Rory are on is crashing and Rory is trying to get in contact with the Doctor.
 Allons-y!

"You should work on your grip, dude...it's a bit womanly."

 I was supposed to have this out before Abolished Impracticality was released, but between everything else it got behind. However, I'd still like for all of you to meet the illustrator of Abolished, my friend Treskie! (And don't forget, you can see her wonderful drawings in Abolished, which is out now in paperback and Kindle. I am sorry for all of you who use Nook. I've run into a bit of trouble getting it up on Barnes and Noble but I'm going to work on it this week and hopefully have it out by Friday.)

Welcome, Treskie! I would offer you a cookie but John ate them all. I do have tea.That was very cruel of John to eat all those delicious cookies. It's a good thing you have tea, or I should be quite inconsolable.  He says he is sorry but he didn't sound it. He's kind of like a certain someone and pie.*Passes the tea*

    *Glares at him* I feel like I should say something amusing, but I'm drawing a blank. 

      It is called lack of cookies...

 It's very nice to have you today.It is always fun to have my illustrators over. I guess I should begin this interrogation...I mean interview...by asking you to introduce yourself. *Holds out microphone.* *Takes microphone* Uuhhhhmm. This is going to be hard, I'm never sure how to do these. (darn you, Jack!) Let's see. Hey! Treskie's not my real name, but I'm guessing you all probably gathered that. I'm eighteen, I'm number seven in a family of eleven, I'm Catholic, and I firmly believe that when I turn fifty Gandalf is going to show up and take me on an adventure. Allons-y!

How's that for an introduction?*Snatches microphone back* MAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh wait...you still need this, don't you? *Hands it back* Sorry, my evil over lord side comes out at random times.

    Yes, that works as a good introduction. You get a slice of pie.     Your evil overlordiness manifests hilariously. *grin*    Pie and tea is a lovely combination. Gimme. 

 Now I should ask the obvious question. How long have you been drawing?Since forever. I can't remember not drawing. I used draw graphic novels.... Honestly!I'd say something witty but I've got this image of you being born with a pencil in your hand and it is hard to think of something witty with that.

    ....................Thanks for that. I just got a mental image of me being born with a pencil in my hand and I honestly have no comeback. *eyeballs you*

     This is why we make such an odd team.

 Did you teach  yourself or did you get lessons from someone?I'm mostly self-taught. My older sisters would occasionally give me tips and stuff, but other than that, I pretty much figured everything out on my own. 

 Okay, I'm envious. And I'm impressed. I'm impressed by anyone who was able to teach themselves to draw. Have some more pie.    Awwwww. Impressed is good. I like impressing people! But honestly it wasn't that difficult to do. However, I shall accept more pie. Join me. 

     I never turn down a free offering of pie. *Looks around for a fork*

 What do you like most about drawing and what are your favourite things to draw?Oh... hmm. Drawing's cool, because it's mine. I don't know... I just really like creating things. As for favorite things to draw, I like drawing people. That's what I've always done. My PRECIOUS! I'm glad you like drawing people too. Because then you can draw tragic scenes from my book for me.

    Tragic scenes are ridiculously fun to draw. I'm sure that turns me into a raging psychopath, but they really are... Are they fun to write? You seem to sulk somewhat when you have to write them.

     They are fun to write when I know it is all going to end happily. They are sad to write when they effect characters I love, or I know it isn't going to end well. But don't worry, since I write them I understand the raging psychopath feeling, so we can be psychopaths together.

 And on the heels of that question one must know, what is your least favourite thing to about drawing and to draw?Least favorite thing about drawing??? Drawing. It's hard and frustrating sometimes. Least favorite thing to draw would have to be animals, and buildings. We hates them lots. They are hard, my precious.Sounds like writing. Hm...so if I was to ask you to draw a horse would you throw something at me?

    Yeah I would. Probably the horse.     Actually, no. Horses are fairly easy animals to draw. Saber tooth lions, on the other hand, are not easy. 

       You know I'm going to add a saber tooth lion into one of my books now, don't you?

 What are your thoughts on the price of rice in China?What does that have do do with the price of eggs in August?Because it effects the price of jelly in the summer

   Would you like a jelly baby?

      Only if you have a new celery stick to go with them. Mine is welting

 What are some of your favourite pastimes?A list! I can do lists. I love lists. Lists all 'round! Ehem. Besides drawing? I like reading, and blogging, and watching a truly ridiculous amount of television shows. Yeah. I'm a bit lazy.LISTS!!!! You watch TV? I never would have guessed that one. *Cough, cough* You're creative and artistic, we tend to be lazy. Because being brilliant takes a lot of work.

    Yeah, I know, right!? You'd never think it to look at me, but I do appreciate a good telly show. *Wheeze* I like how you said 'we'. That makes me feel good because it means you are lazy too. Brilliance is so arduous. 

      I excel at laziness, it is one of my few talents.

 If you had to pick between coconut cookies and apple pie which would it be?LOVE ME SOME PIE. But I'm not wild about apple pie, so coconut cookies are delicious. (are those the ones that John ate?)

  You like coconut? You and I need to sit down and have a talk. *Hides the cookies* You have to eat the pie. Or...wait, this might work. You can eat the cookies and I can eat the pie and we are both happy. *Gives them back*  I do like coconut. Is that a crime? Do you not like coconut? How can you not like coconut? It's yummy stuff! *takes cookies back* You eat your apple pie and be sad. 

     Coconut is evil. Bad, bad coconut! *eats pie and is sad*

 Would you stay with Captain Norington or is your place between him and Jack? (This is hoping you get that reference. I'm watching the movie right now, so I had to ask a question related to it.)Oh bother. I hate choices. I think I'd stay with Norrington, because he's very cool. Jack is without doubt, the worst pirate I've ever heard of... but I have heard of him, so he could probably do fine without me. It's Captain. And why is the rum gone?

   Oh right, Captain Jack Sparrow. Why is the rum always gone? Steed probably stole it and drank it. He is French, after all.  

     Oh, you must have read book three. All this time I was wondering where Steed got it all

 What kind of pencils do you like best to use while you draw? (As you can tell, I'm no artist and therefore don't know many artist related questions.)This is going to sound very un-artist-like, but I mostly use mechanical pencils. The things are amazing. They never have to be sharpened! When I do shading though, I tend to use ProArt HB pencils. I know, right?! Aren't they, like, the greatest things ever! (Though, I keep breaking mine while doing Math...)

   They are! I have a set that ranges from super light to black matter, and it's most enjoyable. (You're lucky you only break pencils during Math. I think I broke my brain last time I did it. Very painful. Oh! THAT explains my mental state!)

    They have different shades?! I never knew that. Math does that, because Math is EVIL!

 Have you ever sneaked your drawings into a fancy art show and met up with a man traveling around the world in eighty days and his Jackie Chan companion? (You knew my canoe joke, so you'd better know who Jackie Chan is!)I don't think my drawings are epic enough to be sneaked into a fancy art show. I've only ever seen the first half of that movie... A really long time ago. So I'm afraid I cannot answer that reference with a reference. But yes, I do know who Jackie Chan is. Who doesn't? *High Fives* Knowing Jackie Chan makes up for the coconut. Everyone should now about him. (Did you know he sings?! Like, at the end of all his movies?)

   I did know that! I know everything about everybody. (I've been studying Sherlock's Science of Deduction.) Did you know when he came to America he didn't speak English?

       I got so caught up in the fact of his singing I forgot to mention that your drawings are good enough to sneak into an art show. At least I think so. But yes, I had heard that, about him not speaking English. He said he learned it watching TV in fact...see, there's hope for us yet! We can learn a cool talent or something.

 Describe your drawing process to us. (That was an order!)Get paper. Get pencil. Sit. Left hand takes pencil to paper. Magic happens. MAGIC! WE MUST DESTROY IT!! Oh wait....I'm not Uther. I like magic. 

   Eeek! *hides magic* You leave it alone, it hasn't done anything to you.     From what I've seen the King of Camelot seems a bit.... obsessive.... about magic. 

      A bit...you keep using that word. I don't think it means what you think it means.

 I had a really good question for you but I forgot it in the shower. Don't you hate it when that happens?I do! It's bothersome. 

 Thank you for feeling my pain   No problem. 

 That wasn't my brilliant question but it was pretty good.Nah, it wasn't that great. :)Thank you for having no sympathy for my pain

    I'm an artist, not a therapist. *adjusts cuffs.*

      I'm a Doctor, Jim, not a therapist!

 What is your dream job? (Working with me... in living or dying, from this hour henceforth, until your lord release you, or death take you, or the world end.)Oh, that ^^^ definitely. Have you the ring? Hehe. Illustrating would be kind of ideal for me. Well, that is good. Because I kind of meant that line up there. MAWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA! *Eats a baby tomato.*

   Yeeeeeeeeees!!! *Happiness* Baby tomatoes right after apple pie? Nasty, Jack.

       Eww....now that you mentioned that, you're right. Eww...oh and yes, I had the ring...but then I lost it.

 Do you speak in movie quotes? (I had to ask because I've been peppering this interrogation with them and I wanted everyone reading to know I'm not just doing it because I'm a geek but because movie quotes is our common language.)

Great snakes! I'm fluent in Movie Quotes. It's a fantastic language, (though, it does make non-geeks' brains go wibbly wobbly.) I acknowledge their pain.Whenever that happens I ask them if they'd like to split a pineapple.I understood that reference

   And I understood that reference. 

     *Hugh fives*

Who is your all time favourite character? (We needed one evil question in here.)All time favorite character!?!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! JACK, HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO ME!? That question encompasses books, and movies, AND TV shows!No, it's too horrible. I can't. I can only choose my favorite character at the moment. And that, is, of course, is a certain hunter who goes by Dean Winchester.Get used to it, I'm evil and I ask evil questions. Dean. I should have guessed that one. Seriously....Have some more pie.

   "That's the worst part, you know. Getting used to it. It's one of those things you never really get used to.... But I got used to it." (I expect you to name that quote.) And of course it was Dean. Who else would it be at this point in my life? I'd rather have another cookie, if it's all the same to you. Pass the teapot, my cup is empty.

     ACK!!!! Why can't I place that?! It is going to drive me crazy now. It is Dean, right? It has to be one of his. It wasn't part of the one he said before the, "I'll man the flashlight," is it?
 *Passes the tea pot and a cookie and ponders some more.*

 And lastly...because I am not able to think of any more movie related questions as I've been editing for too many days in a row...do you listen to music while you draw? If so, what kind?I do, actually. Anything that I'm in the mood for. Lately it's been a mix of a few Imagine Dragons songs and Mumford & Sons. I KNOW WHY YOU LISTEN TO IMAGINE DRAGONS!!! I'm so proud of myself for knowing that.

   Yay Jack! *pats back* You know something! Okay that was mean. I apologize. *offers chocolate.* I LOVE THOSE IMAGINE DRAGONS SONGS! I listen to them every day. Scouts honor.  

    *Snort* I'm so proud of me for knowing something. "Those songs make me very happy." 
 I forgot to say thank you for coming. I meant to, but then the holidays happened and I had to work. So thank you for allowing me to interrogate you.
 For those of you who haven't found her blog yet, you can find it HERE!!!
 Quote is from Epic, the slug to Nod after Nod pulls him from a hole and the slug thinks it is MK.
 Allons-y!

"Your daughter is not your daughter and the money that used to be the diamonds is now ladies underwear!"

 Wherein Jack has mixed emotions.

 I'm not even sure where I want to go with this post. It will be my last till the New Year and I should end 2013 on some clever note which will leave you all in awe and tears. However, I watched 11 die, I got some new book ideas, and I've nearly caught up on my Beta reading which means I have time for another book this week. (One I do not have to edit, not that I dislike editing, because I was sent some wonderful books to edit.) In short, I'm a jumble of giggling and crying emotions and most of them are because of the Doctor. (Because 11 and Clara were fantastic together and I will miss 11 so very much, but 12, from what was shown, is going to be just as amazing and I am going to love him to bits.)Fellow Whovains understand this pain and happiness.
 My Doctor troubles aside. I've been trying to think of something special to do for this last post. I was going to mention some of the books I read this year, like I did last year, but that sounds kind of boring. And you've all put up with me this year and my boring posts - I am getting better though, at balancing writing and school so hopefully things around here won't be so dull and I won't go AWOL. But I wanted to thank all of you. For sticking around, for reading my posts, for supporting me through comments and book reviews and reading my books. I couldn't be an author without all of you and since I can't give you pies or cookies, this shall have to do instead as my thank you.
 (This is a scene which is not actually in any book yet. I know it is coming because I've had it planned for years. It doesn't give any spoilers away, and even if it did they would likely be forgotten before the book is out. It will appear in one of The Broken Blade books, I'm thinking the third.)
 Rangers Don't Wear Pink
 Traveling without girls meant you didn't have to worry about changing your socks every day. If Cadie had been there they would have to wash their hair once a week and brush it every morning. But the only one to look after them was Lukeas, and he was too busy running for his life with the rest of them to care about baths and clean shirts.
 However, when they finally outstripped their enemies even Striker began to realize just how badly they smelled. Without it needing to be said, it was decided that they all needed to rest and take baths. One layer of dirt might be considered manly. Two, pushing it. Three and they couldn't even stand to be around each other, and that was saying a lot.
 Ryder-Adair was the one who finally found a passable river and they all took turns scrubbing as much of the dirt off themselves as they could get. They even went so far as to wash everything - their clothes, spare clothing, and blankets. When they were done Striker no longer wanted to keep a ten foot distance between himself and the others.
 When they were done they laid out in the sun to dry themselves and the wet clothes they were wearing. Around them their spare clothes were scattered.
 "Where do we go from here?" BenArgon asked. 
 "We already talked about this," Trystan grumbled from a few feet away, "we're going to the dwarves."
"I know we talked about it," BenArgon retorted, "I was just hoping everyone had changed their minds since we lost - whoever it is who is following us."
 "We're going to the dwarves," Lukeas said, using his tone no one dared to argue with, "so stop trying to get out of it."
 "It should be fine - as long as we can keep Striker from punching anyone," Fagan muttered.
 Striker felt the need to defend himself. "I keep telling everyone, he started it. Besides, dwarves are real men, they can take it without whimpering for weeks over it." 
 Trystan turned his head and scowled. "Real men?" he demanded.
 "Shut up!" BenArgon shot upright, his tone so urgent no one dared to argue with him. Striker sat as well and looked around, though he already knew what was coming. The look on BenArgon's face was enough.
 "They're coming!" 
 That's was all that needed to be said. If BenArgon could hear them they were still a ways off, but Striker - nor any of the others - wanted to wait around for them to get any closer. They all got to their feet, stuffed their belongings back into their packs without sorting them, and left the river as fast as they could without once looking back.*** It was two days later before they thought to unpack their spare clothing. They'd only thought of it because the still damp things were starting to stink. When night fell and they stopped to rest, Striker helped Ryder-Adair dump everything out onto the ground. Then, in the light of the setting sun, they began to spread it all out in the hopes it could actually dry this time.
 Most of it was the shirts they wore under their outer ones when it got cold. They were all off white, except for the red one BenArgon had insisted on keeping. He said it reminded him of their time with the elves and since he wore it under his regular shirt it didn't matter if it was bright red. (He also liked to add that colour didn't matter to him since he was blind anyways.)
 When Striker found the red shirt he tossed it over one of the bushes, away from everything else, in the hopes he could pretend to forget it in the morning. He wasn't even sure why it bugged him, it just looked insanely ridiculous, not like something someone should be wearing on a quest to find an ancient sword. He turned back to snatch up some more shirts and that was when he saw it. Half buried, it was hard to be sure at first, especially in the dim light. He squinted at it, wondering how it had even gotten there. None of them would even think of owning something pink, but he couldn't deny the hint of colour which was peeking up through the off white of everything else.
 Reaching down, he pulled it free and held it up. He expected a scarf, maybe belonging to the elven queen. After the way they had run from the forest there was a good chance something elven had gotten mixed up with their things. No one had really taken the time to pack properly, after all. However, now that he was holding it up, there could be no mistaking what it was. He quickly tried to hide it behind his back before anyone else saw, but he wasn't fast enough.
 "Is that-" "Your shirt?" the twins asked.
 "Mine?" Striker tried to play dumb. "Mine? I don't - own a pink shirt."
 Everyone else turned to stare and a grin pulled at Ryder's lips but before he could say anything, Fagan spoke. "That is your shirt though!" he exclaimed.
 "You have a pink shirt?" BenArgon snorted with laughter even though he couldn't see it.
 "I do not!" Striker snapped.
 "But, that is your shirt, and it is pink," Lukeas said.
 Fagan started to laugh and Striker considered knocking all of his teeth out. He scowled at the shirt, then slow realization began to sink in. The shirt wasn't completely pink, just mostly. He glared at Argon's red shirt. He knew there had been a good reason why he had disliked it. It had faded onto his, and now he was never going to live this one down. He could only think of one option which might make him feel a little better. When everyone fell asleep, he would throw the offending red shirt and its insistence to fade into the river. ***
 Happy New Years everyone! I will see you all again in 2014 with some new book news!
 Quote is from Oscar, when one of Snaps' henchmen is trying to figure out what is going on in the house. (In other words, if you haven't seen Oscar, go and watch it. It's a very funny movie.)
 Allons-y!

"Just agree with me because I've only got two arms and then it's your turn."

 Wherein Jack signs off for Christmas.

 I meant to post on Friday but was too busy enjoying my holiday by being lazy in proper lazy fashion - by watching lots and lots of British TV shows with friends. And all the Doctor Who Christmas Specials. And now, this is the last post I am going to do until after Christmas. I will return next Monday for a New Years post and then be back full time the Monday after that. In the meantime I hope you all have a wonderful, happy Christmas and - to all my fellow Whovains - a tragic parting with 11.
 And before I go, I wanted to leave you all with a Christmas present.
 Christmas on the Base Peter always had trouble getting into the Christmas spirit, as Hannah Brown called it. She'd start singing Christmas Carols the day after Thanksgiving and as soon as the other Cadets left for their homes the second week of December she'd begin decorating. She painted her nails red and green and left them that colour till New Years Eve. She'd bake enough to feed the Scottish Base and the one in England and then would force Peter, Tony, and O'Brien to eat it all - since they were the only ones who stayed through the holidays. Then, to top it all off, she'd wear nothing but reds and greens which sparkled. She put holly and ivy in her hair, place poinsettis in dangerous places, hang mistletoe in random, unexpected spots (this was to catch one of the three young men off guard so she could give them a peck on the cheek.)
 It was hard to not want to celebrate Christmas with her around, especially when they all went out and got the tree and hung it with popcorn strings and candles. Presents would begin to appear underneath it, a constant reminder that the holiday was getting closer and closer. And then, of course, there were the snowball fights and the snowman building. And yet, even then, Peter always felt like something was missing.
 This year was the same. They'd just come in from the snowman building. This year Hannah had talked them into making a whole army of them all over Base. They'd even borrowed some of the hats and gloves a few of the Cadets had left behind. Hannah promised to make sure they were dry by the time everyone got back.
 Heading into Headquarters, were the tree was always set up, everyone stumbled out of their boots and coats, then the three young men stood in front of the fire while Hannah made what she called her world famous hot chocolate.
 Tony was nudging a plan box with his sock covered toe. It was a present from his parents and all of them knew what it contained as it was the same every year. But that never lessened the excitement. There would be cookies inside, and jelly, some of Mrs. Verne's homemade cider mix, and other delightful treats. Peter thought it was cruel of Hannah to make them wait till Christmas morning before opening it.
 In the other room Hannah's singing was coming through the door. She was singing her favourite, O Holy Night, a song Peter couldn't master because of the ending. Hannah, however, sang it beautifully, as if it was as natural as breathing.
 "Tomorrow is Christmas," O'Brien said, breaking some of the awkwardness that had fallen over them. Even during Christmas, there was always a sense of uncomfortableness any time O'Brien and Tony were in the same room.
 "You don't plan to burn the ham again this year, do you?" Tony teased. O'Brien was always put in charge of the ham, but last year he'd let it catch fire because he'd allowed Tony to bait him into a snowball fight. They'd had to eat some left over turkey instead.
 "You don't plan to cause problems again, do you?" O'Brien muttered dangerously.
 Peter blocked out their half-hearted bickering and stared out the window. It was starting to snow, which would make Hannah happy. She liked Christmas more if it was snowing. A heavy sigh tried to escape his lips but he bit it back.He didn't want to be depressing, but just then not even the thoughts of hot chocolate and Hannah's singing could cheer him up. He glanced down at the box Tony was still nudging. 
 If his parents hadn't left him, if they'd have loved him as much as Tony's, would they send him a box every Christmas? He imagined what that would be like. He would be just as excited as Tony, though he supposed if he did have parents he wouldn't stay at the Base every Christmas. He'd go home, like the other Cadets. Then Tony, O'Brien, and Hannah wouldn't feel they had to stay behind just so he wouldn't be alone on the holiday.
 Every year he tried to convince them all to go home. He said he would be fine on his own, tried to tell them he'd even enjoy having the Base all to himself but they never bought it. He sometimes got the impression they weren't just staying to keep him from being lonely but for other reasons as well.
 Hannah came back into the room just then and Peter looked up in time to see her roll her eyes at O'Brien and Tony as she thrust mugs into their hands. They broke of their argument long enough to thank her then went back to it. Peter was impressed by their skills.
 Smiling, Hannah walked over to him and held out another one of the mugs. Peter accepted it with his best attempt at a smile.
 "Are you ready for Christmas?" she asked, sipping her own hot chocolate while her eyes twinkled.
 "I think so," he murmured. He took too big a drink and burned his tongue but didn't care. It still tasted good.
 Hannah squinted at him through the steam rising up out of her mug. "You sound depressed," she rebuked.
 Peter quickly looked away, wishing there was a way to hide emotions from her. "I guess, I might be. I feel bad," he glanced up again, "wouldn't you rather be home with your family, Hannah, instead of staying on Base?"
 A sad look glinted through her eyes so quickly he wasn't even sure it was there. She replaced it with a smile as she pointed up. Snapping his head up, Peter saw what he was standing under too late to move. Hannah sprang forward, her satin green dress rustling as she planted a kiss on his cheek. Peter was too stunned by her speed to move as she whispered something in his ear.
 "I'm like you, Peter. I don't have a family. Just you. And I choose to spend this Christmas like I've spent all the others. With my family, with you."
 She moved back and beamed him a sad, cheerful smile which he didn't think humanly possible till he felt a similar one tugging at his lips as Tony and O'Brien began to snicker at him getting caught under the mistletoe. Listening to them, seeing her smile, feeling the warmth from the hot chocolate seep into his hands, Peter Jones felt a small spark of Hannah Brown's Christmas spirit shoot through him. Maybe this was what family felt like. He hoped someday, he'd know for sure.***
 Happy Christmas, everyone!
 Quote is from a Doctor Who Christmas Special, The Christmas Carol one.
 Allons-y!

"Go away!" "I'm grievously wounded!"

 Wherein Jack has come BACK from the dead! And Wherein she explains her thoughts on girl characters.
 I complain about girl characters a lot, I know I do. I've tried to get better about it and not whine as much, but I still have a tendency to do so. I thought it was time I did a post explaining these complaints.
 First off, I don't dislike girls. I'm a girl myself - sure, a girl who grew up with brothers and therefore doesn't get girls sometimes, but I still like girls. Some of my best friends are girls.  That said, I've never been huge on the whole....I don't know the term for it. Women power thingy....I know, that is likely to get me in trouble, but let me explain.
 I don't believe girls should be weak and cowering in corners, singing songs about how bad their lives are while waiting for their Prince Charming to come riding up and save them. For one, not all girls are distended to have a Prince Charming. Some girls might never get married, for some reason or other. (I sometimes think I might end up as one of those girls...though marriage doesn't sound horrible to me and I'd love to have at least five kids.)
 For years, these were the kinds of girls put into movies and books. Helpless, defenseless, unable to stand up for themselves. (Think Disney Princesses for a basic example.) But then this idea of helpless women began to change until now we have the Disney movies were girls are mostly saving themselves. And while telling a girl she can stand up for herself, can fight for herself and those she loves isn't so much a bad thing, how it was handled - I believe - is.
 As an author, I know there are tons of ways to handle characters. One could start with a shy, scared girl and by the end of the book have her facing her fears and fighting for something she believes in. Or you could have the independant girl who thinks everyone around her is stupid and she doesn't need their help and in the end having her rely on her friends. This is called character development and I am all for it in boy and girl characters. I love it, it makes characters more endearing. So that is  not where I am targeting my complaint. 
 In the book Seraphina, this is used. Phina is shy and withdrawn and scared. She is too scared to accept help, to admit to the world what she is. In the end of the book she stands up to her worse fears and at the same time allows her friends to come to her aid. She is confident at the end of the book, able to stand up for herself. But she is still sweet. 
 Rapunzel, from Tangled, is another example. In the beginning she does what she is told and even though her means of facing her fears might not have been the right thing, in the end she was able to stand up for herself - even if Flynn did kind of save her in the end - though they were even, because she saved him back.
 Both are girls that normally would be looked down on. Why? Because of extremities.
 Let me go back a little, to the Disney examples above. In Snow White she is sweet and innocent and childish and trusts everyone and it gets her killed, then her Prince Charming comes in and saves the day. In Mulan she dresses like a boy, fights like a man, and saves China. (Though she's kind of a bad example because she never thought boys were dumb and didn't need their help, she was just doing what she could to save her dad. But I will use her as kind of the other side of the coin. A girl who didn't need anyone to save her.) Characters like Mulan were created to tell girls, "Hey, look. You can stand up and fight. You can be brave and courageous and you don't have to just stand back and wait for someone to run in and save you. Sometimes you can save yourself."  Good message, right? Girls shouldn't have to suffer some things in the hopes someone will fix it. Sometimes they will have to fix it themselves.  But my problem with this is all the sudden it wasn't, "You can be like this," but the message was, "You MUST be like this! And if you like sewing and singing and girly things you're a wimp and the world is going to walk all over you." Like with Snow White, girls were being told what they HAD to be if they are to be admired. (Note, I like Disney. I am just using examples because they are ones most people will understand.)
 So what if a girl likes sewing? Baking? Fencing? Hiking? Farming? Flowers? Why can't a girl have the kind of characteristics that are embedded into her? Why does society think they have to tell a girl how she should act and what she should like? (Same goes for boys.)
 And this is why I have girl character issues. I am so tired of reading books and watching movies where it is considered wrong for a girl to accept help, to take an interest in girly things. Where it is bad for a girl to want to be a mother. Is that what we want girls to grow up thinking? That being mothers is degrading, that they should all get jobs that are considered man jobs? That of they like flowers and butterflies they are somehow doing something wrong and will be miserable for the rest of their lives? That they should look down on men and never accept their help? Why not have different kinds of characters - which, I am pleased to say, I have been seeing more of - and show them that, no matter what you like it is okay. (You know, within moral laws and such.) My point is, so much time and effort has been put into making girls more manly that I think the real problem has been overlooked. The whole point of books and movies and characters. It is meant to give a vast range and difference, to show that no matter what kind of characteristic you have, you always strive for something better. 
 I was one of those girls so this hits close to home. I was taught liking dolls and pink and frilly dresses and painted nails was a bad thing. It turns out, I like all of those things, and I also like swords and battles and adventures.  It even got to the point where I thought it was horribly bad to let anyone - especially a boy - help me with anything. I thought if they offered I had to turn them down with great protests. It has taken me a long time and many years to realize there is nothing wrong in accepting help and it is still hard to say yes when someone offers to assist me with something. It took me a long time to figure myself out because the things I would have enjoyed I always thought were very bad. And in my writing, I have determined to try and do all I can to fight against these trends and show people that the best person they can possibly be is themselves.
 And now we come to the last part of this post. My one iffy point with The Hobbit. The girl elf. Generally, I didn't mind her. Having elves in Middle Earth movies is never a bad thing. And she was kind of fun and I loved her hair - I wanted her hair. It was WHY she was there that irked me. In the book there were no girls. I don't think Tolkien had anything against girls, read some of his other works, but in The Hobbit he just didn't put any in. (Sometimes authors just don't want girls in. Maybe because they have hopelessly romantic characters and would like to write a book without romance and the best way to do so is leave out any and all possible love interests. I speak from experience.) And I never saw a problem with this. So what if it was just boys? It was a great book!
 Therefore, the girl elf in the movie was there for only a few reasons.
 One, to add a bit of romance to draw the girls in. As if it was needed. Plenty of Ringers are girls and they would have come without the romance. (And those that weren't Ringers would have likely gone for Kili and Thorin.) Therefore, she was a marketing scheme which really wasn't needed.
 Two, having a movie with just guys in it might have ruffled the fur of those for women's...power or whatever. And there would have been rites in the streets over how unjust Tolkien was to leave out women. Another thing I don't think anyone had to fear. How many of them even know of The Hobbit?
 Three, she was there to show up Legolas. *Snort* As if anyone can do THAT.
 Four, Peter Jackson just wanted someone in there with fabulously long hair. Yes, that might be a good reason. Any excuse to show off that amazing again.
 Five, she was needed to add some more gracefulness to the elven fights. Doubtful. Legolas is graceful enough. He was gracefully shooting Orcs from the dwarves' heads.
 Six, she was in one of the in between stories and I have yet to meet her. (Anyone who has read them...was she?)
 Seven, she was there to had a feminine touch to all the killing. Because, apparently, the world needs more feminine touches, even while killing Orcs.
 Aside from the possibility of her hair, I just don't like the REASON she might have been there. Herself, she was pretty cool. If only she was there for another reason though.
 And now I shall end.
 What do all of you think? Do you agree or disagree? And what kinds of girl characters do you like or dislike?
 Quote is from The Avengers, a conversation between Steed and Mrs. Peel - another well done girl character. They've been trying to find a murderer in a department store and things have been going badly. Steed gets punched, and his Britishness can't get over the fact someone did that too him. (There has never been and never will be a character more British then John Steed.) And he is whining to Mrs. Peel but she, as usual, has no sympathy for his pouting. 
 Allons-y!

"What's he got that I haven't got?" "A hobby." "Archaeology, knitting?" "Breaking doors."

 In Which Jack had her heart nearly ripped out. (More commonly known as her movie review of The Hobbit, The Desolation of Smaug.)
 Yes, I saw it. And yes, I am going to spend a whole post talking about it, because I liked it that much.
 I'm going to try and keep this a spoiler free post. And a negative free one. I'm sure there were plenty who have issues with it not being like the book, so you can probably find a post which will go into detail. Me, I shall continue to love both movie and book. There was one thing I wasn't crazy about which I might talk about, but maybe will save it for another post.
 Anyways....here we go, everything I loved about The Hobbit.
 BILBO! Peter Jackson is the most brilliant man alive, casting Martin Freeman as Bilbo. I thought he was great in the first one, whining and complaining and doubting himself and making wonderful expressions. But in this one he was even better. He was so much braver, so much more ready to do everything he could to save his friends. The man is a fantastic actor. 
 KILI AND FILI!!! Yes, both are very dashing. No, I am not the LOTR geek who goes for the dashing men. What I love about Fili and Kili is the brother part of their story Jackson brings out. And one part, near the end, it had me silently cheering and not silently jumping around in my seat. I had my friend very worried I think. But it was brilliant and I loved it and it gave me hope - for about five seconds - that Peter Jackson would let them live. Because I don't think I'd mind if he changes that part of the book and let's them live. And then that hope was crushed....(THAT WASN'T A SPOILER!)
 Gandalf. I shall forever always love Gandalf. Everyone should love Gandalf. I want my own Gandalf friend. Someone wise and grumpy and who believes even the smallest person can change history.
 Thorn. I wasn't too crazy about him in the book, not till the end. But I read it a few years ago and didn't really know the stories too well or get what was going on. I mean to re-read it this summer to see if I can grasp more of his character. But I am very fond of him in the movies, which makes me think I just misunderstood him in the book.
 Smaug. Because, seriously, who can not but love Sherlock as a dragon?
 Smaug's voice. Smaug's voice on the Imax screen. Sherlock's Smaug voice so deep and rumbly that you feared for Bilbo's life because there was a chance Sherlock's Smaug voice would crack the mountain and drop it on Bilbo's head.
 Legolas. Yeah, I know. Legolas. So many mixed emotions about him from so many people. But the part where Golin shows him a picture of Gimili. There are no words for how much I loved that part.
 BATTLES! Battles with Smaug! Running from Smaug! Everything with Smaug! But the battles....I do like Middle Earth battles.
 Thornton as Thorn.
 MIDDLE EARTH MUSIC!
 MIDDLE EARTH CLOTHES!!
 Legolas' creepy dad.....which I didn't love him, but one has to admire an elf who can pull off creepy.
 BARD!!!!!!!!!!!! Even when I got lost in the book, the moment I got to Bard I loved him. I was panicked that he was going to die and I feared for his life till I got to the end, after which I loved him even more. When I found out Bard was in this movie I went into such a deep state of fangirling I worried my family. I shamelessly love and forever shall love Bard. And I loved the movie Bard just as much as the book Bard. But I want to know...where on earth did they find a Will Turner look alike?
 Eyebrows....I was told to go and see the movie for the eyebrows. I forgot about them till almost the end....but I paid attention to them then. I decided, no one really seemed to have remarkable eyebrows except for Kili, Legolas, and Bilbo. I don't think Martin Freeman could have pulled off the meeting Smaug scene without his eyebrows. So...I'm all for eyebrows.
 The Bear Man. I am sad, I can never remember his name. But I loved him in the book, and in the movie. I just love him. He's so grumpy but adores his little animal friends. He's just cool.
 What I'm not sure if I liked or not...the girl elf. I will explain that later. I mean, she was cool, just the reason she was there kind of bugs me. But that involves my girl character problem, so as I said, later this week on that.
 What I didn't like...SPIDERS! I saw some of that scene, peeking out from my fingers. But whoever said they would give me the details of what happened during it....I'm waiting. I saw something with Bilbo freeing the dwarves...lots of creepy legs....and that was about it.
 And there, my review. How many of you saw it? What did you think? Did you love Bard? Did you go for the battles, the girl elf, the dashing Middle Earth men, or....hopefully not...the creepy spiders? Or did you go for the eyebrows?
 Sadly....I cannot remember any lines from the movie. I was too busy gawking and giggling and hiding behind my arms to memorize any. So I had to go with an Avengers quote. It is when Mrs. Peel is telling Steed about a fellow she is trying to meet.
 Allons-y!!

"You screamed like a girl." "I am a girl."

 Wherein Jack still wasn't ready but went through with it anyways.
 Today is not only the release of my newest book, Abolished Impracticality, book two in the Haphazardly series. But it is also the one year release date for Haphazardly Implausible, my debut novel. Publishing was one of the best, but scariest things, I've ever done. And I couldn't have done it without each and every one of you. You all gave me and my books a chance and came back even after reading them. You've put up with my editing posts and general strangeness and without you I couldn't be here. Without readers an author is nothing but a writer. So thank you. All of you. For your encouragement, support, emails, comments, and friendship. All of you have been the best part of publishing and worth all the editing and weeks of lack of sleep. And there is no possible way I can ever thank you enough, except to keep writing for as long as you want to read my books.
 From the reviews I have received on Haphazard, it seems like most everyone who has read it has enjoyed the adventure spent with Peter and the others. As with series, Peter is not quite the same in book two - nor are any of the others - but I'm hoping this book is just as enjoyable as the first. 
 And I am kind of running out of things to say. So much for sappy speeches I suppose.... I did come up with a party, both for Abolished and Haphazard. I thought it might be fun to do something where everyone talks about their favourite book they read this year. (I know, just one) And since no one entered my giveaway, I will rehold it and all the posts can be entered to win. (Leave a comment, please, or an email so I know you've entered.) If you do not have a blog you can send your "post" in an email or leave it in the comments below. Because there are few things better than sharing wonderful books!
 Now, are you all ready for this? Because I'm still not sure I am. But here it is! Abolished Impracticality!


 To buy the book, click HERE!!!!
 And I am SO sorry to all my readers who buy ebook. I forgot to set everything up in time and now it will be a day or more before they are out. It sound be ready for Kindle tomorrow or Monday, so just keep checking. But I had trouble with Nook and have to figure out what went wrong and how I got it to work last time. I am out of town this weekend but first thing Monday I am going to work on it and see what happened, so Nook's will be out as soon as possible. 
 Now I am going to bed.
 Quote is from Agents of SHIELD, a conversation between FitzSimmons
 Allons-y!!